COLUMBIA, MD — Heading into the bottom of the ninth trailing Marriotts Ridge by one run on Monday, Wilde Lake senior Wyatt Oler told teammate Cuinn Mullins that if Mullins reached base, he would end the game with a walk-off home run.
It was a bold prediction, but it didn't take long for Oler to prove that he was a man of his word.
After Mullins worked a full count, drove a line drive single to center field, and stole second, Oler launched a 3-1 fastball high over the batting cage in left field to give the Wildecats (4-3 county, 5-4 overall) a 9-8 victory.
"We just never got down. We always kept fighting and battled back," said Oler, who also represented the winning run in the bottom of the seventh at second base, but was caught stealing third. "I was up 3-1 (in the count) and was just waiting for that one smooth pitch, saw it and hit it."
Although Oler is batting a robust .519 this year, he hasn't had many chances to be the hero hitting No. 5 behind Mullins, who is hitting .654 with four doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs this season in the clean-up spot.
Mullins connected on a three-run blast over the center field fence as part of Wilde Lake's four-run first inning, prompting Oler to lament his lack of RBI opportunities.
"But I don't mind it at all, because I know he can always get on base," Oler added.
Mullins said that he was thrilled to watch Oler be the hero on Monday.
"I told Wyatt: 'I'm going to get on, and you better hit a home run' and he said 'Oh, I will', so I guess it worked out," Mullins said. "It all came together finally."
Although the game had an exciting finish, it was also marked by some sloppy play from both teams.
The game saw 13 walks, eight stolen bases, three runners caught stealing, and four costly errors between the two teams.
"Every little thing matters. The margin between victory and defeat is razor-thin in our county right now and you just can't play the way we've been playing and win games," said Marriotts Ridge coach Paul Eckert, whose team has now lost three one-run games, twice in extra innings. "But they're learning. We have five sophomores and a freshman, and all of them got in the game today and a number of them started, so we're going to continue to instruct and teach and try to get better."
Senior shortstop Alex Caffes led the Mustangs with three hits, and Brian Forman drove a two-run home run over the center field fence in the fourth inning. Dan Stump and sophomore Gunnar Barnard hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth to give Marriotts Ridge a 7-6 lead. Stump and Barnard also combined to pitch five innings of one-run relief to keep the Mustangs in the game.
Wilde Lake has had no problem scoring runs this season, averaging almost 10 per game, but getting outs has been a different story. The Wildecats have a team ERA of almost eight.
"We're looking at how we can maximize our pitching," Wilde Lake coach Kareem Penn said. "So we had to set up a platoon knowing that our bats will always keep us in the game. We just need someone to come in and hold it down when it's close."
Senior lefty Michael Palasits has been Wilde Lake's best pitcher, and he allowed only one unearned run in four innings of relief on Monday to earn the win.
"We're trying to make everything work. That's just our team this year," Penn said. "Plugging pieces in where they fit and getting the best we can get out of them."
Wildecats junior leadoff man Jared Mouton hit two doubles with two runs, and senior shortstop Sergio Irizarry-Cruz was 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
MR (2-4) 020 320 001 - 8 12 1
WL (4-3) 420 001 002 - 7 12 2
Brown, Stump (2), Barnard (6), Feldman (8) and Fellona. Johnson, Williams (4), Palasits (6) and Aubin.
2B: MR — Kohler, Stump, Barnard. WL — Mouton 2. HR: MR — Forman. WL — Mullins, Oler.